Access Hospitality has published a five-step guide to preparing hospitality venues for Christmas, drawing on its specialists' experience of running kitchens through the festive season.
1. Plan the menu and stock early
The guide recommends brainstorming the festive menu by March or April, drafting and costing recipes by May or June, and starting supplier conversations then. July and August are for refining dishes, gathering allergen and nutrition information and briefing teams, with the menu finalised, costed and orders locked in by September. To secure supply, operators should confirm delivery schedules, identify at-risk ingredients and alternatives, consider smaller, more agile menus and line up backup suppliers. Access Hospitality points to its Procure Wizard Evo purchase-to-pay software for ordering and recipe costing.
2. Build rotas around the busiest days
Citing the Hospitality People Survey 2026, the guide notes only 53% of hospitality workers report a good work-life balance, down from 59% in 2024. Late rotas make it hard for staff to plan childcare and commitments. Operators should map peak days from last year's trading data, typically Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the days before New Year, check whether headcount covers them, hire to fill gaps and publish schedules as early as possible. Rotaready Evo is highlighted for demand-based scheduling and automated shift communications.
3. Train the team and get compliance in order
Hygiene and compliance checks should be current, and staff should be confident on allergen questions under Natasha's Law. Teams also need to know the new festive dishes and upsell opportunities. Extended hours, late events or higher capacity may require licensing applications, fire safety assessments and event insurance, all with lead times. CPL Learning Evo and Trail Evo are suggested for training and compliance tasks.
Remaining steps
The guide goes on to cover further preparation for peak trading.
Takeaway
Its core message for venues and hotel F&B teams is that a calm December is won months earlier.
Originally published by Access Hospitality: Access Hospitality's Five Steps to Prepare Venues for Christmas 2026
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